


The Greatest Show on Earth

by Ice_Queen784



Series: TGS Modern AU [1]
Category: Lindsey Stirling (Musician), The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Broadway, Circus, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lindsey Stirling is totally part of the show now, Rags to Riches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2020-05-15 11:57:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 14,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19295260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ice_Queen784/pseuds/Ice_Queen784
Summary: A modern version of The Greatest Showman, set in 2017.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I’ve been wanting to write for awhile, and I’m very excited to finally do it. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Phineas wanted so much more out of life than what he had gotten. He used to be content to be dirt poor and live in a tiny, cramped New York City apartment as long as he had his wife Charity and their daughters. But he couldn’t be content with that anymore.

They deserved so much better than what he could give them right now. He worked as a taxi driver, and Charity worked as a waitress in a small restaurant. They made just enough money to live on, but not nearly enough to live comfortably.

Charity insisted she was fine living like this. Her parents were rich, and she had grown up in the Hamptons, with all the other filthy rich people. But her parents had cut her off when she eloped with Phineas. They didn’t think he was good enough for her. So she no longer had any of the money she grew up with.

Despite her insistence that she was fine, he wanted to give her more than what they had. She deserved a better life than this. And so did their daughters. And with every day that went by, he became more determined to find a way to give it to them.

But how?

*****

One day, he was giving a rich, older gentleman a ride to a theatre on Broadway. Phineas asked him about his life and career. The man had been running very successful theatre for many years. And Phineas realized that there was a lot of money to be made on Broadway.

He had a little experience in showbusiness. He had worked for a traveling circus one summer when he was a teenager. He had loved everything about it.

And suddenly, the inspiration hit him. What if he brought the circus to Broadway? Of course it had to be a show with his own unique spin. He couldn’t just have a show with clowns, elephants, and tightrope walkers. But he figured he could do that. He could give Broadway a show they’d never seen before.

And as he drove down the street, he knew how he would start.

*****

“You did what?” Charity yelled. “Phineas, that’s ridiculous! What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m trying to give our family a better life.” He argued.

“And you think taking out a loan we can never repay to buy a run down theatre so you can run a circus is going to do that?”

“It will all work out.” He insisted. “Trust me.”

“You’re lucky I love you.” She rolled her eyes.

“I know.” He kissed her. “Come on, Chairy. I really think this could work. Broadway could use something they’ve never seen before. And we could finally live the kind of life we deserve. We could make the world our own. Just let yourself dream a little.”

“I’d love to have something to dream about again.” She replied with a sad smile.

“We do now.” He told her. “We’re about to take this city by storm.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretend that any song that I mention in this fic doesn’t already exist. 
> 
> The song I use in this chapter is This Is Gospel by Panic! at the Disco

Phineas thought things were going well with the theatre, all things considered. He had managed to find a man with experience, and money to back his show. His name was James Bailey, and he turned out to be the same wealthy theatre owner he’d given a ride to the day he decided to buy the theatre.

James loved Phineas’s idea of bringing a circus style show to Broadway. He was funding a fair amount of the remodeling that would need done on the theatre. The new designs would be nothing fancy. He wanted it to keep the rustic vibe it had about it. But it was enough to make it functional and safe for guests.

James was also providing the money to pay performers. He and Phineas had been planning things out for a few months at this point, and it was finally time to hold auditions. The stage was fixed up enough for performers, and they couldn’t move forward with the planning of the show itself without knowing what kind of performers they could get. And Phineas was excited to see what kind of unique talents they could find.

*****

Phineas saw dozens of Broadway rejects, street performers, and various types of circus acts the day of the auditions. All of them were talented, but a handful really stood out to him.

Lettie Lutz was a singer and actress, who despite having one of the most incredible voices Phineas had ever heard, had been rejected from every previous audition she’d ever done, due to the fact that she had a beard. He thought she deserved the chance to be a star, and he wanted to give it to her.

Anne and W.D. Wheeler were a brother/sister trapeze act from the Bronx, and easily the most talented acrobats he saw that day. The time they spent practicing their act as kids had kept them off the streets and out of trouble. They had been on their own since they were teenagers, performing with various traveling circuses over the years. Phineas was excited to be able to add their talents to his show.

Charles Stratton was another singer and actor, who had been rejected from his previous auditions because of his unusually small stature. But despite his size, his stage presence was larger than life, and he couldn’t turn him away.

Lindsey Stirling was an extraordinarily talented violinist, who not only wrote her own music, but danced while she performed it. He was blown away, and he knew everyone who saw her would be too.

Phineas signed a variety of other performers as well, including a contortionist, a pair of female daredevils, and a host of singers and actors whom Broadway had deemed unworthy for one reason or another. And he couldn’t wait to show the world the incredible talents they had overlooked.

*****

“I think, given how many singers there are, we should do some musical numbers.” Phineas suggested in his first meeting with James after the auditions.

“What if it was all musical numbers?” James replied. “They don’t have to tell a story, but if we could come up with fifteen to twenty different numbers, we have a show.”

“Lindsey has already written several songs of her own.” He pointed out. “Hopefully she has some we can use. Although, we’ll still need some songs with lyrics to showcase our singers.”

“I have connections.” James told him. “I could easily hire a songwriter.”

“Maybe we don’t have to.” Phineas suddenly got an idea. “Charity has been writing songs since she was a child. Maybe she could write the songs for our show.”

“It’s a bit of a risk, using an unknown songwriter, but given that the whole show is a risk, I think that’s a good idea.”

“Hopefully she will.”

*****

“You want me to what?” Charity questioned.

“I want you to write the songs for the show.” Phineas repeated.

“I’ve never performed any of my songs before.”

“The cast will perform them. You just need to write them.”

“I’ve never even written anything good before.” She argued.

“You have.” He insisted. “What was that one song you wrote called? This Is Gospel, that’s it. That song is really good. That could be a radio hit if you tried to sell it, or even if you sang it yourself. Actually, I think we could use that song in the show.”

Charity rolled her eyes.

“You can’t be serious, Phin.” She replied. “You want that song in the show? It isn’t even that good. And how would it be a good song for your exciting Broadway circus?”

“I think we can make it work.” He smiled. “Come on, why don’t you go get your guitar and sing it? I’ll record it and show it to James, see what he thinks of it.”

“Fine.” She agreed reluctantly.

Charity went to their bedroom and returned a moment later with her old guitar. Her parents had bought it for her when she was a teenager. It was a very expensive guitar, and once upon a time, it looked very nice.

She sat down and he nodded to her when he began the recording.

“ _This is gospel for the fallen ones_  
_Locked away in permanent slumber_  
_Assembling their philosophies_  
_From pieces of broken memories.”_ She started.

“ _Oh, oh, oh_  
_This is the beat of my heart, this is the beat of my heart_  
 _Oh, oh, oh_  
 _This is the beat of my heart, this is the beat of my heart_  
 _The gnashing teeth and criminal tongues_  
 _Conspire against the odds_  
 _But they haven’t seen the best of us yet.”_

“ _If you love me let me go_  
_If you love me let me go_  
 _‘Cause these words are knives that often leave scars_  
 _The fear of falling apart_  
 _And truth be told I never was yours_  
 _The fear, the fear of falling apart.”_

Phineas stopped the recording.

“That was wonderful.” He told her. “I’m sure James will love it.”

And Phineas was right. James loved it. And their show had a songwriter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you’re enjoying this so far. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Six months passed. The show was almost ready. Charity had written eight songs for the show, and Lindsey had given Phineas seven songs to use for the show. Charity and Lindsey had even written a song together called Shatter Me. James had helped him hire a composer and director named Chad Smith to write the rest of the instrumental music and lead the band. Lettie Lutz would take the female lead on most songs, and Phineas would take most of the male leads himself.

The routines had all been choreographed and were being perfected by the performers. The stage and the set were almost complete, and the renovations to the theatre were very close to being done.

James predicted that the show would be ready to open within three months. And Phineas was already bursting with anticipation.

*****

It was official. Opening night had been set. Their first show would be Friday, December 8, 2017. Exactly three months from today. Tickets will go on sale in a week.

The show was already producing a fair amount of buzz in the show biz community. He was already losing track of the number of interviews with newspapers and magazines he and James had done about the show. Interviews were also being done with Lettie, Lindsey, Charles, Anne, W.D., and most of the cast. They were excited but they were also starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. None of them were used to this kind of attention. James warned them that the press attention was only going to get more intense as the show drew nearer.

*****

Three months passed quickly. Phineas was at the final dress rehearsal before opening night. The show was perfect, or at least he thought it was.

The show had generated a lot of buzz in New York City, as well as across the country. They had created social media accounts for the show that already had thousands of followers. The sneak peek videos they posted of the show got overwhelmingly positive comments.

Of course, the show was already gaining its fair share of critics as well. People said Phineas was stupid, foolish, insane, and every name in the book. That he had no experience in the industry and had no idea what he was doing. That a circus was never going to work on Broadway. That his show was just a discount Cirque du Soleil. That James Bailey was throwing his career and respect in the industry away by backing the show, and that this would be the end of him.

Those comments didn’t bother him much, and the cast didn’t seem bothered by them either. But what did bother them was what people said about some of the performers. People called them ugly and disgusting, and said that they would never be accepted as Broadway stars. People also accused Phineas of exploiting people with differences.

The performers were bothered by the attacks on their appearances, but they were also unfortunately used to it. What bothered everyone more was the accusation that he was exploiting them. That wasn’t true, but he started to worry that maybe his performers thought it was.

After the rehearsal, Lettie found him outside the dressing rooms and stopped to talk to him.

“Are you alright?” She asked him. “You seem a little down tonight.”

“Just nerves.” He lied. “The show opens tomorrow.”

“Is that all?” She questioned. “Or is it more that the show has created so much controversy before anyone has even seen it?”

“Perhaps.” He admitted. “I just don’t want anyone to think I’m exploiting people with ‘differences’ for money. That’s not my intention, and I hope you all know that.”

“We do, Phineas.” She assured him. “All of our lives, we’ve been told we’re not good enough. That we can never be on stage because of what we look like. You’re the first person who has actually been willing to look past our differences and give us a chance. And believe me when I say we’re all grateful for that. And I think we need to let people know that.”

“Do you think we should respond to the accusations?”

“Of course.” She replied. “Social media gives people the perfect outlet to criticize us and accuse us, but it also gives us the perfect outlet to defend ourselves.”

“You’re right.”

Phineas took out his phone and logged into the show’s official Twitter: @TheGreatestShowonEarth.

“We are deeply troubled by the accusations that we are exploiting people with “differences” for money and attention. This is simply not true, and the cast knows this.” He wrote. “We hired people with “differences” because they’re talented and deserve to be given a chance, not because we wanted to use their appearance to sell tickets.”

Phineas retweeted the messages on his personal Twitter account, and several people in the cast shared it. And within hours, the response was getting as much attention as the accusations.

*****

The next night, Phineas held the Playbill in his hands. It was a surreal moment. After almost a year of hard work and obstacles, his show was opening. And the tickets were sold out weeks in advance.

He flipped through the pages. Every act had a blurb about them in the Playbill. It was amazing to see them showcased, like they deserved to be. But what made it seem the most real was the set list.

**The Greatest Show on Earth**

Act 1  
1.The Greatest Show- P.T. Barnum and The Greatest Show Ensemble  
2\. The Arena- Lindsey Stirling  
3\. Come Alive- P.T. Barnum and The Greatest Show Ensemble  
4\. Song of the Caged Bird- Lindsey Stirling  
5\. This is Gospel- P.T. Barnum and The Greatest Show Ensemble  
6\. Prism- Lindsey Stirling  
7\. This is Me- Lettie Lutz and The Greatest Show Ensemble

Act 2  
8\. The Phoenix- Lindsey Stirling  
9\. Heathens- The Greatest Show Ensemble  
10\. Shatter Me- Lettie Lutz and Lindsey Stirling  
11\. Crystallize- Lindsey Stirling  
12\. Moon Trance- Lindsey Stirling  
13\. Victorious- The Greatest Show Ensemble  
14\. Sing- P.T. Barnum and The Greatest Show Ensemble

_Lyrics by Charity Barnum_   
_Music by Lindsey Stirling and Chad Smith  
Orchestra conducted by Chad Smith_

As incredible as simply seeing the Playbill and the crowd was, the most insane moment was when the curtain rose and he and the ensemble began their routine.

“ _Woah_ ,” they sang, then stomped to get the audience’s attention. “ _Woah_ ,”

They repeated this a few more times, before he turned around and sang the lyrics Charity had written to start the show.

“ _Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for_  
Been searchin' in the dark, your sweat soakin' through the floor  
And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore  
Takin' your breath, stealin' your mind  
And all that was real is left behind”

_“Don't fight it, it's comin' for you, runnin' at ya_  
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after  
Your fever dream, can't you see it gettin' closer?  
Just surrender 'cause you feel the feelin' takin' over”

_“It's fire, it's freedom, it's floodin' open_  
It's a preacher in the pulpit and your blind devotion  
There's somethin' breakin' at the brick of every wall  
It's holdin' all that you know, so tell me do you wanna go?”

_“Where it's covered in all the colored lights_  
Where the runaways are runnin' the night  
Impossible comes true, it's takin' over you  
Oh, this is the greatest show  
We light it up, we won't come down  
And the sun can't stop us now  
Watchin' it come true, it's takin' over you  
Oh, this is the greatest show”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot is really going to start moving in the next chapter, I think. If you have any questions about what songs I referenced in this chapter, just ask in the comments. I listed too many songs to put them all down here. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	4. Chapter 4

The show had been open for three months now. Shows were still selling out for weeks in advance. Critics gave the show mediocre reviews. They said it was too cheesy and campy for Broadway. But audiences loved it. And as much as it bothered Phineas to see people tear down the performers he had come to think of as friends, the opinions of critics didn’t matter to him. Or at least that’s what he told himself he thought.

Phineas’s financial situation was looking up considerably. He and his family were in the process of renovating the old mansion he and Charity used to play in as children. They would move in eventually, but for now, they were renting a new apartment that was considerably nicer than their old one.

Charity had quit her job at the diner and was now a full-time songwriter. And they had finally been able to afford to sign Caroline up for ballet lessons, which she had wanted to take for a long time. She had only been to a few lessons so far, but she was already showing promise.

Things were looking great for Phineas, and everyone involved with the show. At least, until James Bailey died.

*****

James’s death was a huge blow to the morale of the cast and crew. They kept going as best they could, but the grief took its toll.

For the first few weeks, Phineas thought he could do it alone. He tried his best. But he just wasn’t ready to navigate the waters of show business alone yet.

“I need to find someone else, to help run the show.” Phineas told Charity over dinner one night.

“To replace James?”

“Kind of.” He replied. “Although, I think it would be nice to have a fresh pair of eyes looking at the show. Someone younger maybe.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” She agreed. “Have anyone in mind?”

“That’s the problem. I don’t have those kind of connections in the industry yet.”

“You met some people through James, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but they were all older, more traditional in their thinking.” He explained. “I think the show could benefit from someone younger. Someone maybe more in touch with what younger audiences want. At the very least, like I said, a fresh pair of eyes looking at the show.”

“I mean, it’s a great idea, Phin, but who?”

“That’s the question of the year, Chairy.”

*****

The next night, Phineas and Charity went to a play. It was a drama. It was good, although not really Phineas’s taste. However, the playwright and producer caught his eye.

“What’s his name again?” He asked Charity at a reception after the show.

“Phillip Carlyle.” She told him. “He comes from a wealthy family, but he’s a bit of a scandal among high society. Known as a bit of a bad boy.”

Phineas smiled. He could tell that Phillip had a bit of an edge to him from the play he had written. Possibly an eye for something revolutionary. He might be just what the show needed.

“Charity, he may be exactly who I’m looking for.”

“What?”

He didn’t reply. He was already crossing the room to greet Phillip, who was standing near a group of people, but wasn’t talking to any of them.

“Mr. Carlyle, right?” Phineas greeted him.

“Please, call me Phillip.” He reached out his hand. “And you are?”

“P.T. Barnum.”

“Oh, from the circus.” Recognition flashed in his eyes.

“That’s me.” He smiled. “That was a great play tonight.”

“Thank you.”

“I have an idea.” Phineas told him. “More of a proposal actually.”

“What is it?”

“Perhaps we could discuss it over a drink?”

“Um, sure.” He agreed.

Phineas sent Charity a quick text telling her where he was going. Then he led Phillip to a bar down the street.

*****

“You want me to join your show as some kind of junior partner?” Phillip raised an eyebrow. “That’s crazy.”

“Maybe.” Phineas shrugged. “But you might just find yourself a free man.”

“So, right here, right now, I’ll put the offer out.” He continued. “You run with me, and I can set you free from the drudgery and walls you keep in. Trade your typical for something colorful. And if it’s crazy, then live a little crazy, Phillip. Don’t you want to get away from that same old part you play? I got what you need, so come with me and take a ride. It’ll take you to the other side.”

“Okay, so you want to cut me in.” Phillip replied. “Well I hate to tell you, but it’s not going to happen. So thanks, but no. I think I’m good to go. I quite enjoy the life you say I’m trapped in. Now I admire you and your show, you’re really on to something. But I live among the swells and we don’t pick up peanut shells. I’ll have to leave that up to you. Because I’m okay with this uptown part I play. I have what I need and I don’t want to take a ride. I don’t need to see the other side.”

“Now is this really how you like to spend your days?” Phineas questioned. “Whiskey, misery, parties, and plays?”

“If I were mixed up with you, I’d be the talk of the town.” Phillip shot back. “Disgraced and disowned. Another one of the clowns.”

“But you would finally live a little. Finally laugh a little.” He argued. “Just let me give you the freedom to dream. It’ll wake you up and cure your aching. Take your walls and start breaking them down. Now that’s a deal that seems worth taking. But I guess I’ll leave that up to you.”

Phillip was silent for a moment, thinking it over.

“Well, it’s intriguing. But to go would cost me greatly.” He finally replied. “So what percentage of the show would I be taking?”

“Fair enough, you want a piece of all the action. I’ll give you seven, we could shake and make it happen.”

“I wasn’t born this morning.” Phillip laughed. “Eighteen would be just fine.”

“Why not just go ahead and ask for nickels on the dime?” Phineas rolled his eyes.

“Fifteen.”

“I’d do eight.”

“Twelve.”

“Maybe nine.”

“Ten.”

“Ten it is.” Phineas agreed.

“Well, Mr. Barnum, looks like you’ve got yourself a junior partner.”

Phineas smiled.

“What I have is an overcompensated apprentice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dialogue at the end is taken from The Other Side, obviously.
> 
> I hope you’re enjoying this so far. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Phillip seemed to fit in well with the performers, despite coming from a much different background than most of them. Within a week, he had befriended almost everyone. And he especially seemed to take a liking to Anne Wheeler.

Two weeks after Phillip joined, Phineas sat down with him at the bar to discuss what ideas he might have for the show.

“The show itself is great.” Phillip told him. “You do a good job of showcasing all the performers, who are all extraordinarily talented. The music is fantastic, and the songs are getting popular online. Which brings me to my idea. Have you ever considered releasing a soundtrack album for the show?”

“I hadn’t. Do you think it would be popular?”

“I do.” He nodded. “In fact, it would most likely sell more tickets to the show itself. People who may not have previously considered coming to the show might hear the music and decide they want to see the show live.”

“I think it’s a good idea.” Phineas agreed. “But I don’t have the connections to get that done.”

“But I do. I have friends in the music industry. I know producers who have done albums like this before. I can help you get this done, if you would like.”

“It’s certainly worth a shot.”

*****

After a month of meeting with producers and negotiating contracts, Phineas was finally in the studio with the singers. The instrumentals had already been recorded the week before. They were ready to record the vocals.

After the first session, the producer approached Lettie. Phineas wasn’t close enough to hear what they were saying, but she looked happy.

“What was that about?” He asked on their way out of the studio.

“He thinks I should record my own music.” She explained, beaming with pride. “He says my voice is good enough for the radio. And I could carry my own solo album.”

“And he’s absolutely right.” Phineas smiled, happy she was being recognized for the incredible voice she had. “Are you going to do it?”

“Do you think I should?”

“Absolutely.” He told her. “But it’s your decision.”

“I’ll think about it.”

*****

To everyone’s pride and happiness, Lettie decided to take the record deal. She was going to start recording her own music. She had already had a couple writing sessions with Charity. And the best part was, it wouldn’t interfere with the show. The producer felt that she would get better publicity if she released her music while she was part of the show.

The first song Lettie recorded was a solo version of This is Me that brought everyone in the studio to tears when she recorded it. She recorded three more songs in the next couple of weeks. She also did a solo photo shoot and filmed her first music video.

A month later, This is Me was released as her first single. The music video trended on YouTube and streaming and downloading of the single were high.

Two weeks later, she released her first EP, titled This is Me, with similar popularity to the single.

There were five songs on the EP, and all of them were fantastic. 

1\. Confident  
2\. Wild Things  
3\. Beautiful  
4\. Roar  
5\. This is Me

Phineas was beaming with pride the whole time he listened to it.

It was a good sign. Lettie really could make it as a solo artist. Phineas just hoped she wouldn’t decide to break off from the show anytime soon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you’re enjoying this story. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: racism

As the weeks went by, Phillip and Anne got closer, and rumors began to circulate among those in the industry that they were dating. Two months after they met, on New Years Eve, they posted pictures on social media confirming the rumors. 

 

The reactions online were mostly positive, and everyone in the cast was happy for them. There was lots of “I ship it” in the comments of their posts. The internet even gave them a ship name: Carwheeler.

 

But reactions among their families were less enthused. W.D. was concerned that Phillip was going to dump Anne and break her heart. Which Phillip respected, although he insisted he would never do anything to hurt Anne. Phineas told him that W.D. would come around eventually. He just needed time to trust him. 

 

Phillip’s snooty upper class family was just racist. They didn’t think their son should be dating a black acrobat from a poor family in the Bronx. 

 

“It just pisses me off, you know.” Phillip ranted to Phineas in the bar one night. “Like, it’s 2018, and my parents still have the ignorant attitude of someone from 1918.”

 

“They’re pieces of shit, for sure.” Phineas agreed. He knew this was far from the first time Phillip’s parents had taken issue with his life choices. 

 

“And I’ve been thinking that this is the last straw for me with my parents.” Phillip continued. “If they can’t respect my life choices, if they can’t respect the woman I love, then I don’t need them anyway. But Anne doesn’t want to come between me and my family. I understand that, but quite frankly, if it comes down to choosing between her and them, I’ll choose her every time.”

 

*****

 

Driving home from the bar that night, Phineas heard Lettie on the radio for the first time. It was her second single from her EP, but the first one that her label had released to radio. It was called Wild Things. Charity had written it for her. Lyrically, it was perfect for Lettie, and the whole cast really. 

 

_ “Find table spaces  _

_ Say your social graces _

_ Bow your head, they’re pious here _

_ But you and I, we’re pioneers _

_ We make our own rules _

_ Our own room, no bias here  _

_ Let ‘em sell what they are sellin’ _

_ There are no buyers here” _

  
  


_ “So gather all the rebels now _

_ We’ll rebel rouse and sing aloud  _

_ We don’t care what they say no way, no way _

_ And we will leave the empty chairs  _

_ To those who say we can’t sit there  _

_ We’re fine all by ourselves” _

 

_ “So aye, we brought our drum and this is how we dance  _

_ No mistakin’, we make our breaks if you don’t like our 808s _

_ Then leave us alone, cause we don’t need your policies _

_ We have no apologies for being” _

 

_ “Find me where the wild things are  _

_ Oh my, we’ll be alright _

_ Don’t mind us, yeah _

_ Find me where the wild things are  _

_ Oh my, we’ll be just fine _

_ Don’t mind us, yeah _

_ Find me where the wild things are” _

 

*****

 

Things came to a head with Phillip’s parents later that week. He and Phineas had been invited to the opening night of one of Phillip’s friend’s plays. Naturally, they had brought Anne and Charity as their dates. 

 

Unfortunately, Phillip’s parents had also been invited, and they ran into them during intermission. Anne tried to walk away, but Phillip stopped her. Phineas desperately wanted to walk away, but he felt like he should stay to support Phillip. 

 

“Mom, Dad,” Phillip greeted them nervously. “This is my girlfriend, Anne Wheeler. I don’t believe you’ve met.”

 

“Oh, Phillip, I can’t believe you brought her to a place like this.” His mother remarked. Phillip bristled, Anne just looked away. Phineas wanted to punch her in the face.

 

“Of course I brought her.” Phillip retorted. “I love her.”

 

“First you joined the circus, now you’re in love with a performer.” His father rolled his eyes. “You really were born to bring shame to this family.”

 

Phineas instinctively started to raise his hand in a fist, but Charity stopped him. 

 

“Don’t make a scene.” She whispered. “This is bad enough as it is without you getting arrested for assault.”

 

“I'm the only one in this family who realizes that it’s 2018.” Phillip replied. “Who understands that your ignorant, bigoted beliefs are wrong. And if that makes me a shame to the family, then I’m proud to be one.”

 

His parents just walked away. 

 

“I’m so sorry about that, Anne. They-,”

 

“It’s not your fault.” Anne cut him off, crying. “But I can’t come between you and your family. I should go.”

 

Anne walked out, and Phillip followed her. Phineas hopes they would figure things out. They were perfect for each other. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter is Wild Things by Alessia Cara.
> 
> I hope you’re enjoying this so far. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Phineas took Charity’s Gabe and led her into their new home. After months of renovations, the beautiful old house was finally ready for them to move into. 

 

“Oh my God, Phin, it’s absolutely gorgeous.” Charity remarked as they walked into the foyer. “I love it.”

 

“It’s perfect.” He smiled. “I wasn’t sure a house this big was going to feel like home, but it does. It feels like we belong here.”

 

“Home is whenever you and the girls are. Whether it’s a beautiful old mansion in a rich suburb or a run down apartment in the city.”

 

“I feel the same way.”

 

He leaned down and kissed her.

 

“Ew!” Caroline and Helen shouted in unison.

 

Phineas and Charity laughed. 

 

“Can I see my room now?” Caroline asked.

 

“Of course, sweetheart.” He replied. “Let’s go upstairs.”

 

*****

 

The next day at rehearsal, Lindsey ran up to him, looking excited. 

 

“Mr. Barnum, guess what?”

 

“You got a unicorn?” He teased. “And please, call me Phineas.”

 

“Right. Phineas.” She nodded. “And a unicorn would be cool, but no. I’ve been talking with the record label, and this morning I signed a record deal. I get to record a whole album of my music!”

 

“Lindsey, that’s fantastic. Congratulations!” He told her. 

 

“Thank you.” She smiled. “I gotta go tell the others!”

 

Phineas smiled as she walked away. She was talented, and she deserved this. But a voice in the back of his mind told him that maybe he shouldn’t be too happy for her. Or anyone in the cast for that matter. Because if someone got too successful in their own right, they might leave the show. And then where would he be?

 

*****

 

The very next day, his nightmare started to come true. Although there were certainly more reasons to this departure than just a better opportunity. Anne and W.D. were leaving. They had been offered a deal for their own traveling show by a touring company. They were offering them far more money than Phineas could, no matter how successful the show got. They would be leaving in a month.

 

When they told Phineas the news, he congratulated him. He was happy for them. But he was also worried. Because he knew there was more to this than just money.

 

Things between Phillip and Anne had been strained since his parents confronted them at the play. Anne knew Phillip loved her, but didn’t want to come between him and his family. Phillip had insisted that he didn’t care what his family thought, and that he wanted to be with her regardless. But it looked like Anne was leaving anyway. 

 

Phillip was devastated. Phineas invited him out for a drink, but he wasn’t in the mood. So Phineas went out alone.

 

At the bar, he sat down at the counter. After a couple glasses of whiskey, another man came and sat down next to him.

 

“You’re Phineas Taylor Barnum, aren’t you?” He asked.

 

“I am.” He nodded. “And you are?”

 

“James Gordon Bennett.” 

 

“The theatre critic?” Phineas remembered that name. He also remembered what he had said about the show. “The one who called my show tasteless, tacky, and lame, and said the performers are freaks who are mediocre at best?” 

 

“I admit I didn’t think then that there was a place on Broadway for your show.” Bennett replied. “But I’ve since realized I was wrong. I would actually like to apologize. In fact, could you extend that apology to any members of the cast I may have offended?”

 

“Why don’t you tell them yourself?” He suggested. “Come to the show. You can come backstage afterwards and meet them.”

 

“I just might do that.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a Spotify playlist for Lettie's album: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/654UHjkstradNm3I4c5oxH?si=gNfaNPIMS3ua2HHPI7HIHg 
> 
> I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll have more soon, although classes just started up again for me and I'm not quite sure yet how that's going to affect how much time I have to write. Anyway, thanks for reading! :)


	8. Chapter 8

“Do you think Bennett really meant all that?” Lettie asked.

 

Bennett had taken Phineas’s offer to come down to the theatre and apologize in person. Phineas hadn’t really been expecting him to do it. And no one in the cast was sure what to make of it. 

 

“Honestly, I’m not sure.” Phineas answered. 

 

“He sounded sincere.” Phillip pointed out. 

 

“That doesn’t mean he was.” Lindsey argued. 

 

“He said some pretty nasty things about us before.” Charles reminded them. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

 

“Maybe he realized he was wrong.” Anne suggested. “I think we should give him a second chance.”

 

“What do you mean we?” Charles spat back. “You two are leaving us soon anyway. If we aren’t even good enough for you, why the hell would we be good enough for some stuck up asshole like Bennett?” 

 

“Our decision to leave isn’t about you guys not being good enough.” W.D. replied. “We love it here. This show has been like a second family to us. But this is the opportunity of a lifetime. Being able to do a tour like this has been a lifelong dream of ours. We couldn’t pass this up.”

  
“This show was the opportunity of a lifetime.” Charles argued. “But I guess it’s not good enough for you two anymore. So you’re selling out.”

 

“Charles, stop.” Phineas cut in. “I think we all need to take a breath and cool down. Why don’t we take an early lunch break, and come back in an hour to finish rehearsal? Sound good?”

 

*****

 

Phineas went out to lunch with Phillip at a cafe down the street.

 

“So, what do you really think of Bennett?” Phillip asked him.

 

“I’m really not sure.” Phineas admitted. “He seemed sincere enough, but was he really? And if not, what’s he playing at here? What’s his endgame? Why try to get in the good graces of a man whose show he only recently despised?”

 

“I have no idea.” He shrugged. “Didn’t he invite you to a party at his house?”

 

“I didn’t tell the rest of the cast, but yes.” Phineas I answered. “We’re both invited.”

 

“What about the rest of the cast?”

 

“They are not.” He answered. “Which makes me think everything he said about realizing he was wrong is bullshit. That or he did mean it and is afraid of judgement from his snooty friends, which really isn’t any better in my book.”

 

“So what do you think his intentions could be?”

 

“No idea.” Phineas shrugged. “But there’s only one way to find out.”

 

*****

 

The next night, Phineas, Charity, and Phillip walked into Bennett’s mansion. The party was crowded, and full of upper class snobs, most of whom Phineas didn’t know. However, between Phillip and Charity, he was introduced to almost everyone, as they both grew up in this world. 

 

He was standing in a group, pretending to pay attention to a conversation about politics. He was actually watching Charity from afar, reconnecting with old friends she hadn’t seen in years. 

 

Suddenly, a young woman approached him. She had short brown hair and dark eyes. She was beautiful.

 

“Are you P.T. Barnum?” She asked, in a lovely English accent. 

 

“I am.” He smiled. “And you are?”

 

“Lucy Everett.” She shook his hand. “I’m a huge fan of your show. I’ve been twice. The first time with my fiancé, the second with a friend who ended up with an extra ticket after her date bailed on her. I have the soundtrack, and I listen to it all the time. It drives my fiancé absolutely insane. But I don’t care. Your show is amazing.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Are any of the cast here? I would love to meet them. Especially Lettie Lutz. She’s so inspiring. And she literally has the voice of an angel.”

 

“She isn’t here tonight.”

 

“I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that my fiancé didn’t invite the rest of the cast.” She sighed. “He’s so closed minded. I kind of hate him. I’m only marrying him because he’s an old friend of my father’s from America. It’s kind of fucked up really, in this day and age, for an arranged marriage.” 

 

“Wait, you’re engaged to James Bennett?”

 

“I am.”

 

“How old are you?”

 

“22.”

 

“Isn’t Bennett old enough to be your father?”

 

“Almost. He’s still several years younger than my own father. So I guess my father thinks that makes it okay.”

 

“That’s awful.” He remarked. “I have a question, though. Does Bennett still hate the show?”

 

“He does.” Lucy confirmed. “But one of his Broadway friends has a show that he wants you to get involved in, so Bennett his pretending that he wants to be your friend.”

 

“That explains a lot.” He nodded. “You know, I could still arrange an introduction to the cast for you.”

 

“Really? That would be incredible.”

 

“I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to meet a genuine fan of the show.” He smiled. “And by the way, you can tell Bennett now that I don’t want to be a part of whatever show his Broadway friend is planning. I’m happy right where I am.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in my head, Lucy Everett is totally played by Elizabeth Henstridge from Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD. Also, I’m skipping over the Jenny Lind stuff in this story because I’m saving that for a sequel to this fic.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you’re enjoying this. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	9. Chapter 9

A few weeks later, Phineas left the theatre after the show feeling the most uncertain he’d felt in a long time. It had been Anne and W.D.’s last show. They had cleared out their dressing rooms before they left. He had hired a new pair of trapeze artists, Lydia Johnson and Weston Davis. They were good, but they didn’t seem to be fitting in with the rest of the cast as well as the Wheelers had. 

 

Phineas hadn’t really spoken to Bennett since the night of the party, and neither had Phillip. However, he had maintained contact with Lucy Everett, Bennett’s fiancée. He had even introduced her to the cast. She was a genuinely nice young woman, and he felt sorry for her, being forced to marry an asshole like James Bennett. 

 

He had received a text message from her earlier that day, inviting him to dinner the next night. He had accepted.

 

“Really, Phin?” Charity questioned when he told her. “You’re going to dinner with this girl? You’re married and she’s engaged.”

 

“It’s not a date, Charity.” Phineas insisted. “We’re just friends. She’s lonely and she’s being forced to marry a man she doesn’t love. She deserves to have a friend. She deserves to have someone to be close to.”

 

“Just make sure you don’t get too close to her.”

 

*****

 

The next evening, Phineas met Lucy at a small Italian restaraunt. She was waiting for him in the small lounge up front when he arrived. 

 

“Lucy,” he greeted her when he arrived. “Sorry I’m a little late. Punctuality has never been my strong suit. I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

 

“Just a few minutes.” She shrugged. “I’m just glad you came.”

 

“Well, I could never stand up a beautiful lady such as yourself.” 

 

Dinner was wonderful, and Lucy made for lovely company. He invited her for drinks with him and Phillip afterwards, and she gladly accepted. 

 

At the bar, Phineas noticed how Phillip and Lucy subtly flirted with each other. How they made the other laugh. He found himself for a moment thinking that they would make a cute couple. Phillip was only a few years older than her and had found himself newly single. Lucy was in a relationship that she was clearly unhappy in, and he was sure she would leave it if she thought she could. Perhaps Phillip could give her that opportunity. 

 

When Phineas got home that night, Charity was waiting up for him. 

 

“You’re late.” She informed him. “You said you’d be home by nine. It’s almost midnight. And you wouldn’t answer my calls or texts. I was worried.”

 

“I’m sorry.” He replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Phillip texted and invited us out for drinks. I lost track of time.”

 

“Why did you ignore my calls?” She questioned. 

 

“My phone was on silent.” He lied.

 

“But you got Phillip’s text?”

 

“I happened to be looking at my phone when he sent it.”

 

“Sure.” Charity rolled her eyes. “What exactly were you doing with Lucy after dinner?”

 

“We went to the bar to have a few drinks with Phillip.” He insisted. “Nothing happened between us, if that’s what you’re implying.”

 

She didn’t reply. She just glared at him as though she still didn’t believe him, but was tired of arguing. 

 

“I’m sorry.” He told her again. He grabbed her hand, but she pulled it away.

 

“I’m going to bed.” She told him. “Goodnight.”

 

*****

 

Two weeks passed. Charity wasn’t happy with him, but he hadn’t stopped being friends with Lucy. Phineas knew she would get over her anger eventually. Lucy was a nice girl, and he thought Charity night even learn to like her if she got to know her. 

 

At rehearsal that day, he couldn’t stop thinking about Lucy. There was something about her that captivated him. And he wanted to find out what that was.

 

Afterwards, Lindsey came up to him, hands behind her back.

 

“Close your eyes. I have something for you.” She told him, snapping him from his thoughts. He closed his eyes and held out his hands. She placed something hard and square in them. “Open.”

 

It was her CD.

 

“Oh my God, congratulations, Lindsey.” He told her. “I’m so proud of you.”

 

“Thank you.” She smiled. “I wanted you to have the first copy, because I never would have gotten this opportunity if you hadn’t cast me in this show.”

 

She and Phineas started talking about the album. This would drop officially in a month. She actually had two more planned out, one next year, and the other the year after. Each one was titled and themed around an original song of hers from the show. Their titles were  _ Crystallize _ ,  _ Shatter Me _ , and  _ The Phoenix.  _

 

“The label wants me to go on tour next year, for my first album.” She told him.

 

“Are you going to?” He asked, voice filled with concern. 

 

“I’d like to.”

 

“I can’t run this show without you.” He argued. “It was hard enough to lose Anne and W.D.. How the hell am I supposed to replace you?”

 

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “You could always just play the songs and have the rest of the cast perform the numbers without me.”

 

“But you’re the center of those songs. We can’t lose you. I can’t lose you.”

 

“Phineas, ever since I was a little girl I’ve dreamed of having the opportunity to go on a tour like this and perform my own music.” She told him. “I’m grateful for the opportunity you gave me here, but this is my decision. You might just have to find a way to do the show without me for a few months. I’m not going to turn this down just because you want me to.” 

 

Lindsey walked away, leaving Phineas stunned, and more worried about the future of the show than ever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crystallize and The Phoenix are just her self titled album and her Brave Enough album with different names. Shatter Me is just her Shatter Me album. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you’re enjoying this. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Phineas got an unexpected visit. He was sitting in his office with Phillip before the show when there was a knock on the door.

 

“Come in.” Phineas called. A tall man with salt and pepper hair and a slightly shorter man with red hair walked in. He had never seen him before. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

 

“My name is Benjamin Daniels.” The taller man introduced himself. “And this is my partner, William Mason.” 

 

“P.T. Barnum.” He stood up to shake their hands.

 

“Phillip Carlyle.” Phillip stood up to.

“What brings you here?” Phineas asked.

 

“We’re in the process of starting up a new Broadway show.” Benjamin explained. “It’s somewhat similar to this, and we would love to have your input.”

 

“What you two have done with this show is revolutionary.” William chimed in. “We would love your help or advice on how to make this show successful.”

 

“So you want to make a show directly competing with ours, and you want us to help you with it?” Phillip questioned.

 

“It isn’t directly competing.” Benjamin defended. “It’s not a copy of your show. The musical numbers will tell a cohesive story. More of an acrobatic musical than a circus.”

 

“How about you send us some more information about your show and we’ll get back to you?” Phineas suggested. They had to get ready for the show. They didn’t have time to stand around and discuss this now. 

 

“Of course.” Benjamin replied. “We’ll do that. Thank you.”

 

*****

 

“From what I can tell, this is pretty much a copy of our show.” Phillip remarked the next day as they looked through the information Benjamin had sent. “Sure these songs might tell a cohesive story, but the only real difference is that their show has a much less controversial cast. Like they’re creating a version of the show for Bennett and his bigoted rich friends.”

 

“Wait a minute, is this the show Lucy was telling me about?” Phineas asked. “She said Bennett tried to befriend us because a couple of his friends were trying to start a show and they wanted our input. Could these be his friends?” 

 

“Probably.” Phillip replied. “They seem like they would be Bennett’s friends.”

 

“So what do you wanna do about this?” 

 

“Obviously we can’t help them.”

 

“But maybe we should.” Phineas suggested. 

 

“Why the hell would we do that?”

 

“It might give us more connections in the industry.” He pointed out. 

 

“Between the two of us, I think we already have plenty of those.” Phillip argued. “Look, I know you think you want to be in with upper class society because it would impress your in-laws or something, but it’s not as great as it sounds. Trust me, I speak from a lifetime of experience.”

 

“Maybe you’re right. But I still think maybe we should do it.”

 

“You wanna help Bennett’s friends create competition for us, go right ahead.” Phillip told him. “But I’m not going to.”

 

*****

 

The disagreement with Phillip had been bad enough, but Phineas’s day was about to get worse. Right before the show, Lindsey came up to him. 

 

“Look, I’ve thought about this.” She told him. “And as much as I love being a part of this show, I can’t pass up the chance to go on a tour of my own. I won’t be leaving until summer, and I’ll only be gone a few months. I’ll return to the show as soon as possible after the tour is over.”

 

“I’d hate to see you go, even if it’s only for a few months.”

 

“I know. But this has been a lifelong dream of mine.” She reminded him. “I hope you understand.”

 

“I do.” Phineas replied. “Now come on. We can discuss this later. We have a show to do.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying this story so far. I'll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	11. Chapter 11

A week later, Phineas met with William and Benjamin at their theatre. It was much nicer than Phineas’s would ever be. It looked far more like a place the upper class crowd would want to go to. 

 

He wasn’t at all surprised to see Bennett there. This had in fact been the show Lucy told him about. 

 

“Mr. Barnum,” Bennett greeted him. “I’m glad you decided to help with our show after all. I think we could greatly benefit from your help.”

 

“I’m flattered you think so highly of me.”

 

“I don’t.” Bennett retorted. “But William and Benjamin do. And you’re growing on me.”

 

“I suppose you’re growing on me as well.” 

 

“Let’s all be honest here, Barnum. You don’t like me. But you do like me fiancée. If you would like to help with our show, I would suggest you stay away from her.” 

 

“Bennett, I swear there’s nothing going on between me and Lucy.” Phineas defended himself.

 

“She’s Miss Everett to you.” He shot back. “And I know there isn’t now. But you’d like there to be. So consider this a warning. Stay away from her.” 

 

*****

 

“How was helping the competition?” Phillip asked at rehearsal the next day. “Is stabbing the very people you gave a chance in the back as fun as you thought it would be?”

 

“It’s not like that, Phillip.” Phineas defended himself. 

 

“It absolutely is.” He replied. “But, it’s alright. Because we have everything under control without you. And, I’ve gotten fantastic news.”

 

“I could always use some fantastic news.”

 

“Anne and W.D. want to return to the show.” He told him. “If you’ll have them back, of course.”

 

“I’d be thrilled to have them back.” Phineas replied. 

 

“Are you sure you’re new best friend James Bennett wouldn’t disapprove?” 

 

“I don’t give two shits if he approves or not.” Phineas shot back. “I don’t need to. They asked for advice for their show. That doesn’t mean they get to run ours.”

 

“They better not.”

 

They were silent for a moment. 

 

“Phillip, did they say why they were coming back?” Phineas asked after a while. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled, but they were so excited to go on this tour. It was their lifelong dream. Why would they give that up?”

 

“She didn’t say.” Phillip replied. “Maybe they realized what’s really important to them. Maybe you could learn something from them.”

 

*****

 

When Phineas got home that night, Charity was watching a movie with Caroline and Helen.

 

“Daddy!” Helen ran up to him excitedly. Caroline seemed too engrossed in the movie to notice. “We’re watching  _ Cinderella. _ It’s Caroline’s favorite movie.”

 

“I know it is, sweetheart. Are you having fun?” 

 

“Yeah. We helped Mommy pop popcorn before the movie.” 

 

“She said we could stay up late tonight because it’s Friday.” Caroline chimed in, not looking away from the movie. 

 

“Well you girls have fun.” Phineas told them. “I think I’m gonna head up to bed.”

 

“Goodnight, Daddy!” Caroline and Helen called.

 

“Goodnight, girls.”

 

Phineas headed upstairs and changed into pajamas. He climbed into bed and turned off the lights, but he couldn’t fall asleep. He kept thinking.

 

Was Phillip right? Was he betraying his own cast by helping with another show? He didn’t feel like he was. But perhaps he was just too selfish to realize he was making a mistake. 

 

By the time Charity came up, he was sitting in bed with the light turned back on.

 

“I thought you were going to sleep?” She remarked.

 

“I tried. But I couldn’t stop thinking.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Do you think I’m making the wrong decision by helping Bennett’s friends?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Do you think I’m betraying my own show? Do you think I’m being selfish?”

 

“Well, considering it benefits no one in your show except you, maybe you are being selfish.” She told him. 

 

“I just feel like helping them is the right thing to do.” He defended himself. “I know I was grateful for all the help I could get when I was starting out.”

 

“But do they really need your help?” Charity questioned. “They already have experience and connections in the industry. And you know this. You’re helping create competition, and why? So you can get more money? Is this not enough for you?”

 

“It is enough.” Phineas replied.

 

“Then what do you need to help them for? You hate them. They didn’t respect you until you got successful, and honestly they probably still don’t.”

 

“That’s just it, Charity.” He argued as she climbed into bed next to him. “I grew up poor. No one ever respected me. No one ever respected my family. You grew up in a wealthy family. Your never had to deal with anything I had to. You got a small taste of it before we started this show. I don’t want my daughters to grow up like I did. I want them to know how it feels to be respected. To be able to have things. To grow up happy.”

 

“They were happy when we were poor, Phineas.” Charity shut off the light. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: mentions of rape/sexual assault

Three weeks later, Phineas sat backstage, waiting to greet Anne and W.D. to arrive. It would be their first rehearsal with the show since they’d left, and the first time any of the cast had seen them in months. When they walked in, Anne ran up to him excitedly.

 

“Mr. Barnum, it’s so good to see you!” She said, hugging him. “I missed this place.”

 

“This place missed you.” He replied. “And so did the people in it.”

 

“It’s good to be back.”

 

“How was the tour?” He asked. 

 

“It was fun at first.” Anne answered. 

 

“What happened?”

 

“I-,” she sighed and turned to look at W.D., who gave her a sympathetic look. “I don’t wanna talk about it right now. When will the others be here?”

 

“Phillip should be here any minute.” He told them. “The others will be along soon after. Everyone’s thrilled to have you back.”

 

“Except for our replacements, I assume.” W.D. remarked. 

 

“Well, no one likes getting fired.” Phineas agreed. “But they just didn’t fit in with the rest of the cast the way you two did, and I think they knew it.”

 

“Hey, guys,” Phillip greeted them as he walked in. 

 

Anne turned around to face him. She smiled, but said nothing.

 

“It’s great to see you again. I missed you.” He looked at them like he was talking to both of them, but Phineas knew he was really talking to Anne. 

 

“I missed you, too.” Anne replied quietly.

 

Just then, several other members of the cast came backstage, and they were soon followed by the rest. They all hugged Anne and W.D. and chatted with them excitedly. And for a few minutes, everything descended into the joyful chaos of a long awaited reunion. 

 

*****

 

Another week passed. Anne and W.D.’s return had been very well received by the audience. They fit right back in with the rest of the cast as if they had never left.

 

Phineas was thrilled about their return. And he was busy, between helping and with William and Alexander’s show and running his own. But he wasn’t so busy that he didn’t notice something was off with Anne and W.D., especially with Anne. He didn’t feel it was his place to ask her. He knew she likely wouldn’t want to talk to him. But if there was anyone she would tell, he knew who it was.

 

That afternoon, he went with Phillip for lunch. 

 

“Has Anne told you about anything that happened on the tour?” Phineas asked him.

 

“Not much.” Phillip replied. “Why do you ask?”

 

“Something just seems off about her. She seems different.” He explained. “Almost sad, or maybe hurt. I thought she might have told you something she wouldn’t tell me.”

 

“She hasn’t.” He shook his head. “But I’ve noticed that too. I’m worried about her.”

 

“So am I.” Phineas agreed. “But I don’t feel it’s my place to ask her.”

 

“It isn’t. Maybe once, it might’ve been my place, but it isn’t anymore.” 

 

“I guess if she wants to, she’ll talk about it when she’s ready. All we can do right now is make sure she feels safe and happy with us.”

  
  


*****

 

Four days later, Anne came up to him during rehearsal.

 

“Hey, would it be okay if I got lunch with you today?” She asked. “I know you usually get lunch with Phillip, but I need to talk to you where the others won’t overhear or barge in.” 

 

“That sounds fine.” 

 

Phineas was definitely concerned. But he hoped she was planning to tell him why she left the tour. It was either that, or she planned to tell him she and W.D. were leaving again. He really hoped she wasn’t going to tell him that. 

 

He took her to the same cafe where he always went with Phillip. She looked sad and nervous.

 

“Mr. Barnum, I want to tell you why I really left the tour.” Anne told him. “Everything was great at first. We were having fun. Living our dream. But it was too good to be true. One night, after a show in Pittsburgh, our tour manager took me into his trailer. He offered me a drink and told me to sit down. I accepted. I should’ve ran. He was kind at first, but things quickly took a different turn. He told me to stand up. I was confused, but I did it. Then he told me to undress. I tried to refuse, but he said he’d end my career, and my brother’s, if I didn’t do what he said. So I undressed. He told me to come sit in his lap. And then he started touching me.”

 

“Jesus Christ, I’m so sorry, Anne.” Phineas felt the sudden urge to kill whoever this tour manager was. 

 

“The next night, he invited me again.” She went on. “And this time he didn’t just touch me. He pinned me down on the couch and raped me. He did this several times over the next few weeks. Eventually, I told W.D. what was going on. He contacted our lawyer, who demanded tour manager let us out of the contract or he’d make sure everyone knew what was going on. The manager, thankfully, agreed, as long as we agreed to keep this quiet. So we did, and now we’re back.”

 

“That’s awful. That man should rot in prison.”

 

“Maybe he should. But I’m safe now.” 

 

“Why are you telling me this and not Phillip?”

 

“I feel like I can’t tell him.” She explained. “I would like to get back together with him. So he can never know.”

 

“If you want a relationship with him to work, I don’t think you should keep a secret like that from him.”

 

“But I’ve been tainted. I’ve been broken.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “He won’t want to be with me if he knows.”

 

“You are not tainted or broken.” Phineas told her. “You’re a survivor. What happened wasn’t your fault. And Phillip isn’t going to think it is. I know he still loves you. This won’t make him love you any less.”

 

Anne looked unconvinced.

 

“Just please don’t tell him.”

 

“I won’t.” He promised. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got a little darker than usual. This fic isn’t going to get super dark, but things are going to start getting more serious as we head towards the climax of the story. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you’re enjoying this so far. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	13. Chapter 13

A fairly uneventful two months passed. Phineas and Charity were getting along really well again. He still spent quite a bit of time with Lucy Everett, but Charity had grown not just to like her, but to trust her. 

 

Phillip and Anne were back together, and she told him what happened on the tour. He was loving and supportive, like Phineas had told her he would be. They were even writing songs together, and had been talking to the record label about recording a few. 

 

Things were going along really well with William and Benjamin’s show too. And most of the cast seemed to be getting over their any grudge they had with his involvement in it.

 

That is, of course, until shit hit the fan, and James Bennett revealed himself to be the bigoted asshole they had always thought he was. 

 

In a leaked phone call to another critic, Bennett was heard saying all kinds of horrible things about Phineas’s show. He called the cast all kinds of racial slurs and offensive names, and said that the show would never truly be accepted in the industry as long as starred a bunch of freaks. 

 

The news broke a few hours before his show that night. The cast was backstage doing some warmups before they got ready. He stood up and started to leave. 

 

“I’ll be back in about a half an hour,” he announced. “I have to go put an asshole in his place.”

 

He took a taxi down to the other theatre. He stormed up to the office, hoping Bennett was there. He was. He, William, and Benjamin all looked up when Phineas walked in. 

 

“Mr. Barnum, what are you doing here?” William asked. 

 

“I’m here to tell you I can no longer in good conscience be apart of this show.” He told them.

 

“Is this about the phone call?” Bennett asked. “Because that was from months ago. It doesn’t reflect my opinions of your show now.”

 

“I think it does.” Phineas argues. “And even if it didn’t, what kind of message would it send to my cast if I stayed here knowing the horrible things you said about them?”

 

“If you leave this show, I will burn yours to the ground.” Bennett threatened.

 

“I’d like to see you try.” Phineas turned and stormed out. 

 

*****

 

The next night, Phineas got a text from Lucy, asking him to meet her at the bar after the show. He agreed. 

 

“I’m going out with Phillip and Lucy for drinks.” He texted Charity. “I’ll be home by midnight.”

 

He knew lying to Charity about Phillip being there too would bite him in the ass if she found out the truth. But he figured that, despite her newfound friendship with Lucy, she wouldn’t like it if she knew they were out alone together. 

 

Phineas saw Lucy right away, sitting at the counter. She looked gorgeous, as always. He walked over to her and she stood up to greet him. She wore the same black dress she wore on the night they met. 

 

“Phineas,” she smiled. “I’m glad you came.”

 

“So am I.” He replied. “You look beautiful tonight. Not that you don’t every night, I just-,”

 

“I know what you mean.” Lucy laughed. “Sit down, have a drink. Tonight, we’re celebrating.”

 

“What exactly?” He asked as he sat down beside her. 

 

“You standing up to my asshole of a fiancé.” She explained. “The internet has decided that Bennett is ‘cancelled’ and they’re praising you for your decision to stand up for your cast and leave the other show. A show that is quickly falling apart, by the way.”

 

“That does seem like a lot to celebrate.” He replied. 

 

They talked, laughed, and drank for hours. Shortly before midnight, he told her they had to go. He started to wave down a taxi. Lucy stopped him.

 

“Phineas, wait,” she took his hand. “I have to tell you something before you go.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I-,” she sighed. “I love you.”

 

She reached up and kissed him.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you’re enjoying this so far. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	14. Chapter 14

Phineas stood there stunned. Lucy backed away, looking embarrassed. 

 

“I-I’m sorry.” She told him. “I should go.”

 

He didn’t reply as she walked away. He didn’t know what to say. So he got in the taxi and rode home. 

 

Guilt washed over him as he walked inside. Charity was waiting up for him in the living room. He could hardly look her in the eyes, even though Lucy had kissed him, not the other way around. 

 

“Is something wrong?” Charity asked him as they got ready for bed.

 

“No. Nothing.” He lied. “I’m fine.”

 

“You’re acting weird.”

 

“I’m just tired.” He insisted. 

 

Charity shrugged and climbed into bed. He laid down next to her and shut off the light. 

 

*****

 

The next day, when Phineas walked into rehearsal, he heard Phillip and Anne singing on the stage. He stood in the balcony, not wanting to interrupt.

 

_ “You know I want you,”  _ Phillip sang.

“ _ It’s not a secret I try to hide _

_ I know you want me _

_ So don’t keep saying our hands are tied.” _

 

_ “You claim it’s not in the cards _

_ And fate is pulling you miles away _

_ And out of reach from me _

_ But you’re here in my heart  _

_ So who can stop me if I decide  _

_ That you’re my destiny?” _

 

_ “What if we rewrite the stars? _

_ Say you were made to be mine _

_ Nothing could keep us apart  _

_ You’d be the one I was meant to find.” _

 

_ “It’s up to you, and it’s up to me _

_  No one can say what we get to be _

_ So why don’t we rewrite the stars  _

_ Maybe the world could be ours  _

_ Tonight.” _

 

The song was beautiful. He hoped they got to record it. Perhaps they could work it into the show. Fans loved the two of them together. They would go crazy over a duet between them.

 

_ “You think it’s easy,”  _ Anne took over. 

_ You think I don’t want to run to you  _

_ But there are mountains  _

_ And there are doors that we can’t walk through.” _

 

_ “I know you’re wondering why _

_ Because we’re able to be  _

_ Just you and me _

_ Within these walls _

_ But when we go outside  _

_ You’re gonna wake up and see that is was hopeless after all.” _

 

_ “No one can rewrite the stars _

_ How can you say you’ll be mine? _

_ Everything keeps us apart _

_ And I’m not the one you were meant to find.” _

 

_ “It’s not up to you, it’s not up to me _

_ When everyone tells us what we can be _

_ How can we rewrite the stars? _

_ Say that the world can be ours  _

_ Tonight.” _

 

*****

 

The day was going fine. Until it wasn’t. Rehearsal was going great, until shortly before noon, when a photo leaked on Twitter. Within an hour, it was trending. It was of Lucy kissing Phineas.

 

Lettie saw it first, and the rest of the cast quickly found out. Everyone stared at him, stunned. They hardly spoke to him the rest of the day. And he had no idea how to defend himself.

 

Getting the cold shoulder from the cast was bad. The backlash he was getting on social media was bad. But Phineas knew that would all feel like sunshine and roses compared to what Charity would do when he got home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	15. Chapter 15

Phineas walked in the house to see Charity sitting on the couch, waiting for him. She had a suitcase by the couch. She was pissed. 

 

“What the hell, Phineas?” She demanded, getting up to meet him. She showed him the picture on her phone. “How could you do this to me? I trusted you and you repay me by cheating on me in public?”

 

“Charity, please let me explain.” He begged. “I’m not cheating on you. Lucy just kissed me out of nowhere. We have never slept together. I had never even kissed her before. I would never cheat on you. I love you.”

 

“You don’t love anybody but yourself.” She accused, tears welling up in her eyes. “Deep down I’ve known it all along. I’ve lied to myself all these years, telling myself that you love me. But now I’ve been forced to face the fact that you don’t. And I’m not going to stay with someone who doesn’t love me. I deserve better than that.”

 

“Charity, please don’t go. I didn’t cheat on you. I love you and I always have. I always will. You’re the only woman I have ever loved. You’re the only woman I will ever love. Please don’t leave me.”

 

“Don’t lie to me.” The tears finally spilled down her cheeks. “Just let me go.”

 

“You can’t leave me.” He grabbed her arm, but she yanked it away. 

 

“I can and will.” She replied, grabbing her suitcase. “My parents have already picked up the girls. We’re going to be staying with them for now. Have fun with your whore.”

 

She walked out, slamming the door behind her. Phineas sank to the floor and cried. 

 

*****

 

A week passed. Phineas’s reputation had sunk. He released a statement defending himself, saying that Lucy Bennett had been the one to kiss him, and that he was not cheating on Charity. But people didn’t seem to believe him.

 

His social media following had dropped significantly. Ticket sales had plummeted, and attendance was starting to go down too. They were going to start losing money soon. 

 

But at the moment, he had a more personal concern. Charity hadn’t spoken to him since she walked out. She didn’t answer his phone calls or text messages. He hadn’t even been allowed to see Caroline and Helen. 

 

Caroline had a ballet recital tonight. Phineas was sure Charity wouldn’t want him to go. But he planned to anyway. He had a ticket, and he hadn’t seen his daughters in a week. He was going whether she liked it or not. 

 

He arrived at the recital and sat down awkwardly next to Charity. 

 

“Hey,” he greeted. She didn’t even turn to acknowledge him. 

 

But Helen did.

 

“Daddy, you’re here!” She exclaimed. She jumped up out of her seat to hug him. 

 

“Of course. I wouldn’t miss your sister’s ballet recital for anything, sweetheart.” He replied. 

 

“I’ve missed you.” She told him. “I asked Mommy when we can go back home, but she says we aren’t going home ever.”

 

“I would love for you to come home. But right now, that’s up to Mommy.” 

 

“Why can’t we go home? I’m tired of living with Grandma and Grandpa. They’re old and boring.”

 

“I know. But things are complicated right now.”

 

“Some of the older kids at school say you and Mommy are going to get divorced.” Helen said. “What does that mean?”

 

“It’s when a married couple breaks up. It happens sometimes, when two people don’t love each other anymore.”

 

“Do you still love Mommy?” She asked.

 

“I do. With all my heart.”

 

“Does she still love you?”

 

“I don’t know.” 

 

“Helen, honey, come sit down.” Charity told her. “The performance is about to start.”

 

Helen walked back to her seat sadly. 

 

The recital went well. Caroline was wonderful, and he got to hug her and talk to her for a little bit when it was over. Charity was cold, and she made it clear she wished he hadn’t come, but he was thankful she at least let him talk to the girls. 

 

He was hugging them goodbye when suddenly, fire trucks came speeding down the street. People seemed to be gathering a few blocks over, in the same direction the fire trucks were headed. He could see a building in flames. And he quickly realized with horror that the fire was coming from his theatre. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	16. Chapter 16

Phineas ran down the street as fast as he could to join the crowd that was gathering around the burning theatre. Cast members were still running out of the building. 

 

“What the hell happened?” He asked Lettie, searching her out in the crowd. 

 

“I don’t know. We were all hanging around after the show when a group of guys came backstage.” She explained. “They started yelling all kinds of racial slurs and shit, and then a fight started. I think it was arson.”

 

“Do you think they walked in with the intention of setting the place on fire?”

 

“I don’t know.” She replied. “But they certainly walked in with the intention of starting a fight.” 

 

Just then, Philip came running up to them.

 

“Where’s Anne?” He demanded. 

 

Phineas looked around at the crowd of cast members. Almost everyone was out now. But he didn’t see Anne.

 

“I don’t know.” He replied.

 

Philip instantly turned and ran back into the burning building. 

 

“Philip!” Phineas called after him, but he didn’t seem to hear. Just then, Anne came running out through another entrance. W.D. grabbed her and hugged her. But Phineas didn’t have time to be relieved. Philip was still in there. He turned and ran into the building. 

 

“Daddy!” He heard Caroline and Helen yell behind him. But he couldn’t stop. He had to get Philip out of there.

 

He could hardly see through the flames. He could hardly breathe through the smoke. But he managed to find Philip.

 

“I can’t find Anne.” He wheezed.

 

“She made it out.” Phineas told him. Philip was badly burned and barely able to walk. He could hear the building start to fall apart around them. He had to get him out now.

 

He picked up Philip and stumbled through the fire. They just barely made it out of the way before the roof came crashing down. 

 

*****

Phineas walked into Phillip’s hospital room. He was still unconscious. Anne was sitting by his bedside. She’d been by Phillip’s side since he was taken to the hospital the night before. 

 

“How is he doing?” Phineas asked her.

 

“The doctor says he’s gonna live.” She replied, looking up at him. There were tears in her eyes. 

 

He pulled up a chair and sat down beside her.

 

“He’s gonna be okay, Anne.” He comforted her. 

 

“He could have died. All because he didn’t know I was safe.” 

 

“You can’t blame yourself for this.”

 

“You’re right. This is your fault.” She snapped.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Phillip seemed to recognize them. He called two of them William and Benjamin.” Anne explained. “I think they were from Bennett’s show.”

 

“You think Bennett sent some of his employees to burn down the theatre?” He raised an eyebrow. “Why would be do that?”

 

“Because he’s an asshole. Because you quit his show and made out with his fiancée in public.” She pointed out. 

 

“I didn’t-,” he trailed off with a sigh. “Never mind. You’re right. This is my fault. All of this is my fault. My show is over, my marriage is ruined, and everything has gone to shit. And it’s all because I didn’t know when to stop. Because I couldn’t see that I don’t need to be as wealthy or respected as Bennett or my in-laws. I’ve had all I really needed in front of me all along.” 

 

*****

 

Phineas went down to the bar. It was the middle of the afternoon and he was one of the only customers there. But he didn’t care. He just needed to get drunk until he forgot that he had ruined the life he’d worked so hard to build.

 

Charity was gone and she had taken Caroline and Helen with her. His career was in ruins. He had destroyed his reputation and now the theatre had burned down. He had nothing left. 

 

And he had done it all to himself. He had let himself get too close to Lucy. Now Bennett wanted revenge because he had left his show and kissed his fiancée. And he’d gotten it. He wished he had never gone to that stupid house party. Never gotten involved with Bennett’s show. He should have focused on his show. On his family. But he hadn’t. And now it was all gone. 

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone sit down next to him, but he didn’t look up at them. He just stared into his glass of whiskey and hoped they’d go away without speaking to him. But they didn’t. 

 

“So what brings you here?” A familiar voice asked. He turned his head to look at them. It was Lettie. 

 

“My family is gone.” Phineas told her, like she didn’t already know. “My career is gone. And my reputation is in ruins so I have no chance of getting any of it back.”

 

“You can’t just give up like this, Mr. Barnum.” Lettie told him. “You can get it all back.”

 

“How?” He asked. “I destroyed everything because I didn’t realize what was really important.” 

 

“But you realize now.” She pointed out. “So it’s not too late. It won’t be easy, but you can get the show up and running again. I’ll be here to support you. We all will.”

 

She gestured to the other side of him. He turned around and saw several members of the cast approaching the bar, ordering drinks and chatting. They all smiled when they saw him. 

 

“Your support means the world to me.” He told her genuinely. “But there’s still some people I can’t do this without. I could never have gotten where I was if it wasn’t for the three of them.”

 

“Then go get them back.” She smiled.

 

Phineas walked out of the bar and got in his car. He was heading out to Charity’s parents’ house. And he was going now. He couldn’t wait any longer.

 

As he drove out, lyrics to a song started to form in his head. He sang them to himself.

 

“ _ From now on _

_ These eyes will not be blinded by the lights  _

_ From now on _

_ What’s waited till tomorrow starts tonight _

_ Tonight  _

_ Let this promise in me start _

_ Like an anthem in my heart  _

_ From now on _

_ From now on.”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. There’s probably only a couple more chapters left of this one. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Phineas nervously walked up the steps to Charity’s parents’ house and knocked on the door. A few moments later, Mr. Hallett answered.

 

“What are you doing here?” He demanded. 

 

“I’m here to see Charity.”

 

“My daughter doesn’t want to see you.” Mr. Hallett shot back.

 

“Please, I need to talk to her.”

 

“She’s not here right now.” 

 

“She’s at the beach.” A voice called from behind her father. He looked to see Caroline and Helen running towards him. 

 

“Go find her.” Caroline told him. 

 

“Thank you, girls.” He smiled and hugged them. “I love you.”

 

“Are you and Mommy getting back together?” Helen asked.

 

“I don’t know.” Phineas told them. “I hope so.”

 

“Me too.” Caroline replied. “I miss you.”

 

“And I miss both of you so much.”

 

Phineas walked down to the beach. It wasn’t a long walk from her house to the shore. They used to play there in the summer as children, before they even realized they were in love. They had been best friends almost as long as he could remember. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her forever. 

 

He found her standing on the quiet beach, staring off at the ocean. They were the only ones out there.

 

“Charity,” he called as he approached her. She turned to face him, but said nothing. “Charity, please. I need to talk to you.”

 

“You are.” She replied coolly.

 

“Chairy, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything.” Phineas told her. “I never meant to hurt you. And I would never cheat on you. I love you. And I know I fucked up. I let my pride and my ego get the best of me. I thought that I wanted everything but I didn’t realize that I already had everything I wanted right in front of me. All I want, all I need is you and the girls. I can’t do this without you. Please, come back to me. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Phin.” She told him. “I always have. And being here without you has made me realize that I still want to be with you, even if you did fuck up. Even if you did hurt me. I know you didn’t do any of it on purpose. And I know you didn’t cheat on me with Lucy Everett.”

 

“I would never cheat on you, my love.”

 

“I know.”

 

She reached up and kissed him. 

 

*****

 

The next morning, he awoke to a text from Phillip. 

 

“Come see me in my room at some point today.” It read. “We need to talk about the show.”

 

Phineas wasn’t sure he would still have a show anymore, but he agreed anyway. Around noon, he went down to the hospital and walked up to Phillip’s room. He sat down in a chair by the bed. 

 

“How are you doing?” Phineas asked. 

 

“I’m awake, so that’s something.” Phillip replied. “How are you?”

 

“I’ve been better, but I’m trying to stay optimistic.” He explained. “You wanted to talk about the show?”

 

“Yeah. You’re planning on putting it back together, right?”

 

“I would like to, but I don’t know if that’s going to be possible. The theatre is a total loss. It’ll need to be completely rebuilt. I have quite a bit of money saved up, but not nearly enough for that.”

 

“I could always pitch in.” Phillip offered. “I have a lot of money from my parents, before they cut me off. And I’ve made a good amount in my own right too.” 

 

“I appreciate that. But I still don’t think we could afford to do that.”

 

“Maybe we don’t have to.” Phillip remarked. 

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“What if we held the show in a circus tent or something, at least temporarily?” Phillip suggested. “It would work well with the theme of the show. And it would be millions cheaper than rebuilding.”

 

“Phillip, you just might be onto something.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one chapter left. I hope you've enjoyed this. I'll have the last chapter soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	18. Chapter 18

Six months passed. Tonight was the grand re-opening of the show. Phineas stood backstage nervously. They weren’t in the theatre anymore. Now, they were in a tent down by the ocean. And with the change in setting had come a few other changes to the show as well. 

 

There were two new songs in the second act. Rewrite the Stars was a duet with Phillip and Anne. From Now On featured Phineas himself, as well as the rest of the cast. Phillip was taking a bigger role in the show than he had before. Phineas and Phillip were now co-ringleaders. 

 

The last six months had been good. He was back together with Charity, and she and the girls were living with him as a family again. Now, it was almost like the drama with Lucy had never happened.

 

Phillip and Anne had released an EP together titled Rewrite the Stars. There were three tracks on it.

 

  1. This Feeling
  2. Rewrite the Stars 
  3. Secret Love Song



 

They had released This Feeling as a single, and it was a radio hit now. 

 

Lindsey had returned to the show as well. Her solo tour had started during the show’s hiatus, and she had finished it just in time to return for the show’s re-opening. 

 

Phineas and Phillip waited nervously on opposite wings of the stage to come out together. He took a deep breath when he heard their cue. 

 

_“Woah,”_ the cast sang and stomped their feet. _“Woah,”_

 

The audience cheered as Phineas and Phillip walked on to the still darkened stage. 

 

Once they got into the song, all of Phineas’s nerves disappeared. He was finally back, doing the show that he loved. He had his family back too. It seemed everything was right with the world again.

 

_“It’s_ _everything you ever want_ ” He and Lettie sang. 

“ _It’s everything you ever need_

_ And it’s here right in front of you _

_This is where you wanna be._ ”

 

The rest of the ensemble joined in, and he felt his heart swell with pride and happiness as they finished the song.

 

“ _This is the greatest show._ ” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of this part, but I’m doing a second part to the modern AU focusing on Phineas’s tour with Jenny Lind. It’ll be kind of like a modern version of Two Lost Dreamers, the very first TGS fanfic I wrote. So the first chapter of that will be out soonish. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story. Thanks for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it so far. I’ll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


End file.
